Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 The Dedication
- 2 The Altar
- 3 from The Sacrifice
- 4 The Thanksgiving
- 5 The Agonie
- 6 Good Friday
- 7 Redemption
- 8 Sepulchre
- 9 Easter
- 10 Easter wings
- 11 H. Baptisme (II)
- 12 Sinne (I)
- 13 Affliction (I)
- 14 Repentance
- 15 Prayer (I)
- 16 The H. Communion
- 17 Antiphon (I)
- 18 Love I and II
- 19 The Temper (I)
- 20 Jordan (I)
- 21 Employment (I)
- 22 The H. Scriptures I and II
- 23 Whitsunday
- 24 Grace
- 25 Mattens
- 26 Even-song
- 27 Church-monuments
- 28 Church-musick
- 29 The Church-floore
- 30 The Windows
- 31 Trinitie Sunday
- 32 Content
- 33 The Quidditie
- 34 Affliction (III)
- 35 The Starre
- 36 To all Angels and Saints
- 37 Deniall
- 38 Christmas
- 39 Ungratefulnesse
- 40 Sighs and Grones
- 41 The World
- 42 Coloss. 3.3: Our life is hid with Christ in God.
- 43 Vanitie (I)
- 44 Vertue
- 45 The Pearl. Matth. 13.
- 46 Affliction (IV)
- 47 Man
- 48 Unkindnesse
- 49 Life
- 50 Affliction (V)
- 51 Miserie
- 52 Jordan (II)
- 53 Sion
- 54 Home
- 55 The British Church
- 56 The Quip
- 57 The Dawning
- 58 JESU
- 59 Dulnesse
- 60 Love-joy
- 61 from Providence
- 62 Hope
- 63 Sinnes round
- 64 Gratefulnesse
- 65 Peace
- 66 The bunch of grapes
- 67 Love unknown
- 68 Mans medley
- 69 Paradise
- 70 Ephes. 4.30: Grieve not the Holy Spirit, etc.
- 71 The Pilgrimage
- 72 The Holdfast
- 73 Praise (II)
- 74 Longing
- 75 The Collar
- 76 The Call
- 77 Clasping of hands
- 78 The Pulley
- 79 The Priesthood
- 80 Grief
- 81 The Crosse
- 82 The Flower
- 83 The Sonne
- 84 A true Hymne
- 85 Bitter-sweet
- 86 The Glance
- 87 The 23 Psalme
- 88 Aaron
- 89 The Odour, 2. Cor. 2
- 90 The Forerunners
- 91 Discipline
- 92 The Invitation
- 93 The Posie
- 94 A Parodie
- 95 The Elixer
- 96 A Wreath
- 97 Death
- 98 Dooms-day
- 99 Heaven
- 100 Love (III)
- Glossary
- Sources
- Index of titles
- Index of first lines
90 - The Forerunners
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2016
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 The Dedication
- 2 The Altar
- 3 from The Sacrifice
- 4 The Thanksgiving
- 5 The Agonie
- 6 Good Friday
- 7 Redemption
- 8 Sepulchre
- 9 Easter
- 10 Easter wings
- 11 H. Baptisme (II)
- 12 Sinne (I)
- 13 Affliction (I)
- 14 Repentance
- 15 Prayer (I)
- 16 The H. Communion
- 17 Antiphon (I)
- 18 Love I and II
- 19 The Temper (I)
- 20 Jordan (I)
- 21 Employment (I)
- 22 The H. Scriptures I and II
- 23 Whitsunday
- 24 Grace
- 25 Mattens
- 26 Even-song
- 27 Church-monuments
- 28 Church-musick
- 29 The Church-floore
- 30 The Windows
- 31 Trinitie Sunday
- 32 Content
- 33 The Quidditie
- 34 Affliction (III)
- 35 The Starre
- 36 To all Angels and Saints
- 37 Deniall
- 38 Christmas
- 39 Ungratefulnesse
- 40 Sighs and Grones
- 41 The World
- 42 Coloss. 3.3: Our life is hid with Christ in God.
- 43 Vanitie (I)
- 44 Vertue
- 45 The Pearl. Matth. 13.
- 46 Affliction (IV)
- 47 Man
- 48 Unkindnesse
- 49 Life
- 50 Affliction (V)
- 51 Miserie
- 52 Jordan (II)
- 53 Sion
- 54 Home
- 55 The British Church
- 56 The Quip
- 57 The Dawning
- 58 JESU
- 59 Dulnesse
- 60 Love-joy
- 61 from Providence
- 62 Hope
- 63 Sinnes round
- 64 Gratefulnesse
- 65 Peace
- 66 The bunch of grapes
- 67 Love unknown
- 68 Mans medley
- 69 Paradise
- 70 Ephes. 4.30: Grieve not the Holy Spirit, etc.
- 71 The Pilgrimage
- 72 The Holdfast
- 73 Praise (II)
- 74 Longing
- 75 The Collar
- 76 The Call
- 77 Clasping of hands
- 78 The Pulley
- 79 The Priesthood
- 80 Grief
- 81 The Crosse
- 82 The Flower
- 83 The Sonne
- 84 A true Hymne
- 85 Bitter-sweet
- 86 The Glance
- 87 The 23 Psalme
- 88 Aaron
- 89 The Odour, 2. Cor. 2
- 90 The Forerunners
- 91 Discipline
- 92 The Invitation
- 93 The Posie
- 94 A Parodie
- 95 The Elixer
- 96 A Wreath
- 97 Death
- 98 Dooms-day
- 99 Heaven
- 100 Love (III)
- Glossary
- Sources
- Index of titles
- Index of first lines
Summary
The harbingers are come. See, see their mark;
White is their colour, and behold my head.
But must they have my brain? Must they dispark
Those sparkling notions, which therein were bred?
Must dulnesse turn me to a clod?
Yet have they left me, Thou art still my God.
Good men ye be, to leave me my best room,
Ev'n all my heart, and what is lodged there:
I passe not, I, what of the rest become,
So Thou art still my God, be out of fear.
He will be pleased with that dittie;
And if I please him, I write fine and wittie.
Farewell sweet phrases, lovely metaphors.
But will ye leave me thus? when ye before
Of stews and brothels onely knew the doores,
Then did I wash you with my tears, and more,
Brought you to Church well drest and clad:
My God must have my best, ev'n all I had.
Louely enchanting language, sugar-cane,
Hony of roses, whither wilt thou flie?
Hath some fond lover tic'd thee to thy bane?
And wilt thou leave the Church, and love a stie?
Fie, thou wilt soil thy broider'd coat,
And hurt thy self, and him that sings the note.
Let foolish lovers, if they will love dung,
With canvas, not with arras clothe their shame:
Let follie speak in her own native tongue.
True beautie dwells on high: ours is a flame
But borrow'd thence to light us thither.
Beautie and beauteous words should go together.
Yet if you go, I passe not; take your way:
For, Thou art still my God, is all that ye
Perhaps with more embellishment can say.
Go birds of spring: let winter have his fee,
Let a bleak palenesse chalk the doore,
So all within be livelier then before.
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- Information
- George Herbert: 100 Poems , pp. 143 - 144Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2016